Helllloooooo!!!

...lovely friends!! Just checking in to say hello as the madness of the end of year hovers around me.

Some thing has to give when life is so busy and I guess for me lately that's been my blog. I hope to catch up more with all of you over the summer, I'm sorry I haven't been to visit much recently.

Since my Sydney post (still on a high about that trip!) Bill has turned 10,

and my mermaid girl,

turned into a flower for the amazing end of year ballet recital. Rosie and Sunday both dancing beautifully and it was so thrilling to be in the audience watching them on the magnificent stage at Her Majesty's in Ballarat. Wow!

I've been busy helping out at school with various events which is a lot of fun but time consuming too!
I'm so looking forward to the holidays and having more time for the kids & Mark, the ducks and all our pets. Yes, that means YOU Daisy!

My plans for making vintage linen quilts has gone by the wayside, temporarily, and I'm itching to get back into it. All my beautiful sheets and pillow cases have been soaked, washed and ironed and they are waiting patiently for my attention.

I'm sad because I haven't had much time to take photo's lately and I'm missing it. Luckily Instagram has been a fun and easy way to get some snaps into my life, thank god for Instagram! Another thing on my list for the summer, photography! And reading, walking, swimming, relaxing, decluttering, catching up with friends and hopefully planning our renovation!

What have you got planned for the holidays? Hope to see you soon, bye for now xoxoxooxoxox

Oh baby, baby it's a wild world...

Wow, what a weekend we have had. The rain continued to fall last night and I hardly slept a wink as the wind was so strong it felt like the house would blow away.

Late yesterday I went for a drive to break the day up a bit and to check on the houses & farms of our friends who are away. I also headed down to the spot where two creeks meet, not far from home. Can you see the bridge in all that water?

The dogs weren't sure about going for a swim at Twin Bridges, much to my relief. I didn't feel like jumping in and also didn't want them swirling down to the Blowhole!

Back at home it was time for some comfort food. When I started the gnocchi I didn't realise the power would be out for..hours!

But it was kind of fun making it by candle light. And amazingly it was the softest, most delicious gnocchi ever. The power shortage lasted most of the night and then all day today. This meant no electricity, no heating, no hot water. We made do pretty well as we have a gas stove top so we could still have cups of tea, phew. The kids played 'olden days' outside and it seriously felt like olden days, folks. I was pretty happy when the power came back on this afternoon.

These three were pretty happy too, snuggled up watching Ghost Busters.

Not much time for crafting this weekend. I didn't miss it actually, being pretty preoccupied with other things, but I'll be back on track tomorrow and adding to the shop.

The rain hasn't seemed to bother these local ducks who appeared next door today.

And Henrietta & her friends have been partying hard in the garden, finding all manner of worms, snails and exciting morsels.

These kangaroos looked a bit uncertain about the creek,

bushfires, floods, what next?

Some creatures aren't too fussed by extreme weather though.

What's all the fuss about? It's nice and warm hanging out where the dogs sleep. Straw? Who needs it? Ponds? They're for the birds.

(Does anyone have Dr Harry's phone number?)

Have a happy week

lovely friends,

see you soon xo

What's making me smile...

Little dogs who think they can sneak a chook egg without me noticing....

Swedish strawberry shortcake &



getting busted in my nightie & gumboots.



Garlic hanging in the chook shed...

...and making it's way into boxes.

Flower cake making....




....on a sunny afternoon.

White peaches &

A brand new jar of Vegemite.



Beautiful drawings and a comment by a friend about our children's sense of family.

My sweetheart who peddalled his bike up to swimming lessons to bring me a hot thermos of tea.

A lovely card from a local legend to say thankyou for a heart shaped cake, and our little girls singing him Happy (86th) Birthday recently.

The two new ducks chasing the chooks out of their pen, funny!

Chatting with mates at the above mentioned swimming lessons, always a great way to catch up with old friends and make new ones. Reading heaps and working on projects. Kisses at the front gate. De cluttering and thinking about what the year might hold. Dreaming, eating, sleeping, cuddling, loving. Summer holidays are making me smile.

Hope you are too xo

My Place & Yours - My Collection(s)

I love this week's meme, MyCollection, hosted by lovely Kate from Foxs Lane. What an interesting theme, Thanks too, to Pip for hosting, I'm loving this weekly fun! I can't wait to see what collections are out there.

When I started to think about what I collect it took me a while to define one thing/group. In the end I realised that I collect collections! I won't try to list them all on this post but here a few of the things I love.

I've always liked old photo's and I adore my group of 'lost people'. Why and how these sweeties ended up in the op shop I'll never know, but the mother in me gathers them up and brings them home to be looked after and loved.





The War boys are so special and they become like great uncles who we've never met. The two little girls with their dear little hair cuts and toys will always be children, they make me smile.

I seem to have collected a few of my own children along the way too. They are my most prized and loved collection. As far as collections go they are the least predictable, most argumentative, definitely the most diverse, the funniest, most loving (and at times the most challenging). An extremely treasured, colourful and ever changing collection.

Ok then there is the dog thing. I've always loved doggies. I've had a few real ones (Ruby, Jem, Toby, Jack, Spud, Gidget and now Max & Daisy). I've also managed to gain quite a few china dogs and assorted other dog paraphernalia. Although I don't actively collect them anymore I still love to look at their sombre expressions and their lovely shapes and colours.



Bed covers, blankets, quilts...yep, I collect them too. Along with an extensive collection of vintage sheets and linen. Probably too many to show today but here a few special ones. The bedspread on top is my favourite find. $5 at Savers and it's the most BEAUTIFUL vintage piece of prettiness I've ever found. Ahh.......



Little weeny cups are fun to collect. They don't take up too much room and are good for storing baby teeth!

I haven't even got to the kitchen where lurks....

...more collections. I'm starting to worry about myself. Is this collecting business healthy?

I haven't even touched on my Daylesford collection, or the box of snow domes out in the shed, or the pet collection, the vintage sewing books, the teddies, the wedding cake toppers, the shells and special rocks, the rubber bands...oh someone stop me!!! ahhh!!

Kate, you asked some great questions of us collectors and I don't know where to start to answer them. I do know thatsome of my collections are ongoing, some will stay as they are, gathering dust, the group of five will be ever precious and are growing every day, and all of them make me happy! I really can't see that there is a limit to collecting, it's seems a very natural hobby.

Collecting quirky bits and looking for specialness in the world are two of the best things in my life.

I hope you have you enjoyed looking through some of my collection. Now I've shown you mine will you show me yours? I'm popping over here for a look xo

My Place & Yours - My Secret Weapon(s)

I love this weeks meme, chosen by, My Bricole - My Secret Weapon.




I liked that I really had to think about this and at first I wasn't sure. I love my family of course and my lovely friends who are supportive and fun and wonderful.



Still thinking...my garden is another one I could have chosen. Hmmmm...not sure.



But then of course it hit me....my secret weapons are my beautiful, sweet and loving friends, Daisy and Max. Max is a cocker spaniel and he is a big, old loverboy. When I rang up inquiring about puppies a few years ago, I was told all the females had gone which I was disppointed about. But there was one big, boy puppy left. The owner told me he was worth having a look at because of his sweet, placid nature. One look and I was in love. Three years later Max has his issues (Macky loves food, even eats the chook and guinea pig food) but he is one ace dog. Maxwell Holiday- Man
I love you!



Daisy is our little spoodle. She too has some behaviour issues, ie: running away, chasing Peter, the cat next door, but boy is she a gorgeous dog. She listens when I'm sad, she licks my tears and stares at me with devotion everytime I look into her beautiful, brown eyes.
Daisy Maisy Bates,
you are a superstar and I love you to bits.
Thanks you two sweeties for being my secret weapons! For more secret weapons pop over here:

Tuesday

The last week has had it's moments. A difficult family issue popped up and although I think it is resolved it left me feeling pretty drained. People/family/relationship stuff is so complex isn't it? So this morning after contemplating a messy kitchen, washing to be done & other exciting chores I chose instead to meander down to Hepburn Springs to see my mum. Possibly angling for a little TLC and a cuppa I was lucky to find both. Her new house/church/abode is looking wonderful and is becoming more & more like 'her place' every day. Lucy put these pretty pieces of glass along the window.

You may have noticed that Sue has a lot of colour in her life. Do you like the beautiful blanket she knitted?

Lots of little things that catch my eye in her new space.

Funny owl creatures brought back from Santa Fe.

More creatures...

Mum.

Back at home I continued on with the decluttering/remodelling of our little sitting room. It's looking so much better and lighter! It helped that today was so sunny, it was almost spring like. The dogs kindly kept me company.


This is Max, he is a deep thinker. Especially when it comes to menu options. He is a big old lover boy and he is making the most of some quality couch time. (Note new couch! Yes it arrived, & thankyou Michelle for carting away the old one. Not a fun job. But as ugly and smelly as the old couch was it did see us through alot of meaningful moments. Four new babies were fed and cuddled on that couch (were some of them made on it....possibly?) Anyway lots of happy family times involve that old couch so I really was kind of fond of it. Not fond enough, though, to hang on to it. One too many 'accidents' rendered it majorly stinky, and wonky, courtesy of a half eaten cushion (thanks to Jessie the dog, may she rest in peace).

Daisy & Max having a love fest. Oh those loving eyes. The dogs have been so good lately. Now that they are in the back yard, not the front, alot of the problems we were having have ceased. Daisy isn't running away anymore and Max is no longer terrorising the poor postie. Both dogs are having regular walkies, are sporting glamourous new haircuts & their self esteem is at an all time high! Wow!

You can probably tell, I love my pets! They are a big part of our family. They are so sweet natured & they give us a lot of love. Their unconditional love is so soothing & good for us all and their love for each other is pretty special too. Hope you & yours are having a lovely week xoxo

Still thinking..... headache tablets? Rat poison? Vintage apple core? Underpants? The world is my oyster...